Disk cutter head



E. s. JOHNSON DISK CUTTER HEAD Filed Jan. 23, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I l l l A TTOH/VE Y E. S. JOHNSON DISK GUTTER HEAD Filed Jan. 23, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOI? /'Ec2wz`n' 52.5571123021,

l l TTORNEY July 27,1926. l 1,593,873

E. S. JOHNSON DI SK CUTTER HEAD Filed Jan. 23. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet :,s

mvENr-on Edwin 51 tahnaan @i i? i* A TTORNEY Patented July 27, 1926.

EDWIN SAMUEL JHNS, OF YORK, N. Y., ASSGNOR T .STANDARD DREDGING COMPANY, OF NEW YRK, N. Y., A GORPORATION OF NEXV JERSEY.

DISK CUTTER I-IEA).

Application filed January The invention relates in general to a dirt `loosening or dredging machine ot thel hy (h'aulie type, and speciiica-lly relates to a cutter head designed to be carried at 'the outer end of the usual swingingl ladder forming part oi a dredging machine and which head is provided with cutting tools for the purpose ci' loosening the dirt, gravel and other material on the ground worked upon.. or on the bed et the body oi water being dredged.

ln similar devices now known it has been usual to mount di'tlerent forms oit blade and toothed drags or cutting tools at the end et the ladder, in juxtaposition to the intake end et the suction tube used for withdrawing the vloosened material. In all known i'orms otdredging machines the cutting tools carried by the head are operative-ly connected with the cutting engine or other power plant to cause the tools to function. ".ihese devices have not proven economical in their action 'for much power is consumed, either in an idle movement otl the tools or in moving the material in such way that it was not drawn into the suction tube.

The present invention has for its primary ject the. providing of a simpliiied form of "ng hez-.d provided with cutting tools nu ch will feature economy both in their cof-ft oi construction, in their cost 0'1": replacement and in the cost oft operation of the dredge equipped with the improved head.

@ne ifeature in which the invention contributes to this result is the providing of a iorm oit cutter head equipped with cutters which are operated solely as an incident of the sweeping lateral movement of the laddA and which critters are actuated solely om the usual ladder swinging engine. In this 'way the necessity for the use et actuat ing power is eliminated.

Another object oi' the invention and lurther featuring economy in opera-tion is to provide a cutting tool which will eiliciently act on aiimited amount of material and vi'ecd the same as a continuous stream into the. path oit the suction effect of the tube as the vtool is moved by the ladder across the path being dredged.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a cutter head which will function during' the'operative movement of the lad der n both of its directions of swing; which r till tea i autom tic dispositiva *die 23, 1925.. Serial No. 4,238,

cutters in their proper operative positions `with each change ot' direction and in which a plurality oi" cutters may be carried on one head and each disposed to discharge its apportionment of the loosened material to a single suction tube.

Various other objects and advantages oi the invention will be in part obvious from an inspection oi? the accompanying drawings and in part will be more fully set forth in the following particular description of tiro terms oi' mechanism embodying my invention, and the invention also consists in certain new and novel features oif' construction and tombination oit parts hereinafter set tenth and claimed.

In thc accompanying drawings Figure l is a view in side elevation, and with parts shown in vertical section, of acutter head constituting a preferred ein-- bodiment oi the invention;

Figure E2 is a plan View looking down upon the structure shown in Figure 1 with the critters shown in an inoperative position. in 'full lines and with the cutters shown in an operative position in dot and dash lines.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure l showing a modified form of cutter mounting and control ttor the cutters;

Figure l is plan view looking down upon the :term shown in Figure 3 and with the rack and gear enclosing covers removed; and

Fig. 5 is a detail in axial section of the. cutter niiounting.

ln the drawing and referring iirst to Figure l there is shown in dotted outlines the tree swinging end of a ladder l0 carrving the suction intake tube 1l as is usual in dredging appara-tus. lt is further understood that the lad der and tube are swung by means oit' laterally extending flexible connections actuated by a swinging engine, not showin and operatively connected to swing the ladder end in a substantially horizontal plane back and fior-th as it is advanced along the channel beingcut and that the ladder end is controlled in its vertical movement and positioned by {iexible connections with a hoisting' engine, not shown. i

` At the outer end ot the ladder is positio'ncd the heading particularly constituting the subject-matter of this disclosure. Referring to either o't theviorms herein illus tratta aan is ,slaan a: lades .an asf uti i ing' l2 provided with vertically spaced horizontal `flanges i3 and l-/r and a vertical, inedial conneting web 15 coacting to Jiorin a rigid, mutually braced skeleton traine designed to be secured to the tree end of the ladder. The upper plate flange i3 is provided with a pair oi' longitudinally extending transversely spaced apart triangular webs lil and li' between the upper ends otl which is positioned a longitudinally extending` link 18 lsecured in adjusted position to the ladder end casting,- by means oil a bolt 19. passing through one et a line of apertures Q0 'formed in the adjacent end o'l the link i8.

Pivoted to the forward edge et the flange i3 is a cutter head 2l deinountably hinged to the end castingby means of a long,` pivot bolt 22 arranged to provide relative angular .iove'nent between thehead 2l and the castinw` secured to the ladder. ho head 2l coinprisesl a wide webbed cntter plate 23 :ubstantially rectangular in plan as sliown in Figure and provided centrally thereof with a pair of upstanding triangular webs @el and rlhe forward end of the link 1S is pivotally secured between the webs and by a bolt 2G. The adjustn'ient provided by the shitting` et the bolt i9 in the several apertures 2O permits oit a vertical movement et the cutter head rrelative to the ladder and the bolt aperture connection thus provides means ior setting the head relative to the rladder in any desired aninsted angular position.

j; T-shaped tiller 2T is pivotallyv mounted on au upstanding bolt 2S passer through a boss 2) constituting;` a vertical bearing.; termed on the plate i223 adjacent the center oli its hinged rear edge. The tiller includes a Jorwardly projecting); work arm 8O extending trom opposite lateral sides of which are control cables -l'l and 32 which, preferably, are independent oit the ladder swino'np; means but are arranged to be operatively cormected so that with each reversal. oi the dir ction of swing` oit the ladder there is a corresponding` reversal et direction or the cutter disks hereinafter described.

lilxtendinp; forwardly and longitudinally 'from each orn a pair of laterally extending' arms lil and 2Liot the tiller are disk actuating bars, which in the showing' in Figures l and l constitute link rods t, and and which in the showing` in Figures 3 and el; constitute rack bars ot' which one bar 37 is shown in these figures. ln either case 'the bars are designed to control two sets or disk cutters ot which vthi-:ee cutters udinal inedial line of the ofthe a'ke end 3S) ot the suction tube ered position, as fsliownin L reintoring rear plate 4l secured to the cutl disk by 'flush rivets d2. This rear plate niornite(r` .ter free rot-ary movement in a Ap e' frame elf-l carried by a head le ci cu ter hrm T he cutter arm is mounted yfi a bearing -lt iliorined in the plate 2? tor a nnitcd rotary movement about a vertical -I-is indicated by the line @Mh rlille plane the cutting` edge of the disk indicated by le line o--d in Figures l and 8 is inclined k:'fkward 'from its lower edge and in all iositions faces the axis ot swing of the ladde and is tree to rotate about its airis indicated at auf". ln the illustrated showing` the plane of the cutting edge is tilted backwardljg at an angle ot about 45 `from the vertical, `but this will vary under service conditions. rfhe disks are controlled so as to face in the direction ot swing of the ladder and :tor this purpose the arms #l5 are controlled in their rotary movement about their vertical airis. ln the showingin :Figures l. und thev urnis are eachbent to overlap the upper edge ot' their respective disks so as to dispose each disk with its axis et rotation e-f intersecting the axis ot swing @-7) ot the air-n and thustend to minimize drag` on the d Y they are rotated about their vertical axis.

ln the showing in Figures 3 and t the arms d5 are il-shaped with the disk cutters disposed each in advance of the axis (ieli their associated mounting' arms. For the purpose of swinging the disk critters to race i the direction or swing of the ladder, th s el?) ot each set are connected, in the iorin ov-:n in .l rires l and by means of shitft .rods and 3G re- 2 d `n the snowing in Figures 'l fins are similarly connected by nd pinion connection, the rack A'i8 and engaging arm 4:5. The

rar di) secured to the Irack and ,Q eur connection is housed in a ing i3() positioned on top ot the plate Q3 in the ljorn'i shown in Figi.;ure

iitops and areprovided on the plate 223 to `limit the movement ot the arms and 3d and thus' locate the angular position el the disks as they are rotated into their op` erative position.

lt is within the scope orn this disclosure to assume that the cables 3l and 32 can be r'utilized as the means for swinggfinf:r the ladder in its reciprocatory movement. ln this case a pull on one oi' the cables, such as the cable 32, will act lirst to shift the cutters ant` then aetitlirougli the stopl to shift the head whole.

ln Voperation it will. he Iunderstood that as the' ,ladder is :moved trein its normal cen- `l fzlinesf inthe Btl itl() several figures to one side or the other, such lor inst-ance, as a swing anticlockwise, the pull on the cable 32 in Figure 2 will cause the disk cutters to shift trom their normal forwardly tacing positions shown in tull lines into a laterallv tacing shifted position shown in dotted lines in Figures 2 and 4. The engagement ot the arm 33 with the stop limits the rotating oit the disks and in the disclosure the turn is shown to be approximatel 450. `When so shifted the ladder is swung in the direction in which the disks are facing and the cutting operation is continued to the end ot the lateral ladder swing. As the cutters are forced angularly through the sot't material at the bottom of the river bed the reaction ot the material on the disks will cause the same to rotate each about its own axis c-f in this instance in an anticlockwise direction with the result that they tend to cut their way through the material and endeavor incidentally to bury themselves in the material. Any lowering movement oit the head as a whole is resisted by the cables which hold the ladder and therefore the disks not being able to lower themselves will react on the material to elevate and litt the same. As the cutters move along the ground each cutter sinks or is drawn down into the sott material to form a kert and all the cutters coact to form six closely positioned parallel kerts in the case ot the illustrated machine. This means that each cutter has but a limited amount ot material to work up but in the aggregate the six cutters can loosen a relatively large amount ot material.

r)The saucer-like, concaved work tace ot cach cutter acts as a scoop to litt the cut portion oit the material away from the bed. is this action takes place at the intake end ot the suction tube the loose material will be withdrawn from its position adjacent the disks in accordance with the usual practice.

ll' hen the desired width ot channel has been cut the movement of the ladder is intercepted.; tension is placed on the other cable 3l to turn the disk cutters until they lace in the opposite direction and the ladder is then swung in said opposite direction. During this reverse swing of the ladder the disk cutters again act on the material to loosen the same and the operation is continued, the ladder swinging back and ttorth on its recipr catory movement as the dredge is slowly advanced along the channel being dredged.

By means ot a device ot this character it possible to dispense with all disk cutting operating mechanisms, such as the usual cutting engine, and to utilize the power plant whichis at present employed solely to swing the ladder. rEhere is featured a cutting action ot the' disks in distinction from the usual blade or tooth drag and the providing of an easier loosening ot the material than is possible with known forms ot dredging tools.

The construction ot the castings feature integrally formed reinforcementswhich tend not only to provide a mutually braced structure but also provide rigid bearings for the cutter arms for the tiller and other parts ci the cutter control.

Having thus described my invention, l claim l. ln a dredging machine, the combination of a ladder mounted tor reciprocatory movement horirontally, a cutter head carried thereby, two sets ot rotary cutters cariied by the hea l, one set on each longitudinal side ot the ladder, a suction tube having its intake end positioned between the sets ot cut-ters and each cutter mounted for a limited turning movement about an upright axis and iree to turn about an airis perpendicular to the plane ot its tace, means connect g the cutters ot each set for simultaneously turning the same about their respective upright aires, means :tor swinging the ladder in .its reciprocatory movement and means controlled by the change ot direction ot said ladder swing and connected to the last named means tor simultaneously shitting the positions of both sets ot cutters. y

2. ln a dredging machine, the combination ot a ladder pivotally mounted at one end tor reciprocatory horizontal swinging movement, a cutter head at the free end ot the ladder, a set ot disk cutters carried by the head and connected to tace in the same direction, means connected to the cutters tor shifting them to face in the direction of movement ot the swinging head as it moves back and forth with the reciprolcatory ladder and a suction tube having its intake end adjacent the cutters.

ln a dredging machine, the combination ot a two part ladder heading and with the parts hingedly connected., one ot said parts adapted to be secured to a ladder ot a dredging machine and the other provided with a set ot disk cutters each pivoted to said other part to rotate about their respective and means for securing the parts in adjusted angular relation thereby to locate the aXes ot the disk cutters relative to the ladder.

In a dredging machine, the cornbination oi" a support a web projecting vertically therefrom, a cutter head hinged to the support for relative movement about a horizontal airis and provided with a web and means extending across the axis and connecting said webs 'for securing the relative to the supportya e '5. ln a dredging machine, the combina,-

tion of a supper ding a `plate prc/"idc'd lll) lli)

with an upstanding web, a head including a plate provided with an upstantiing web, a hinge connection between the plates and an adjustable link connection between the webs.

6. ln a dredging machine, the combina .tion ol cutter plate webbed to provide in* tegral reinforcements for the plate, certain oit said reinforcements constituting bearings extending through the plate and cutter mechanism including` a shaft mounted in said bearings.

7. ln a dredging` machine, the combinaH tion of a cutter plate provided with integral reinforcements, certain orP said reinforce ments constituting; cylindrical bearings, and cutter mechanism carried by said. plate and including;- shafts journalled in said bearings.

8. ln a machine for dredging,` a. channel, the combination et a support mounted to be swung bodily in a horizontal plane transversely ot thel length of the channel, a pair cutters depending; from the support and positioned on opposite lateral sides thereot and means operatively connected to the sunport for swinging the support horizontally and thus cause the cutters to function as they are swung across the channel.

ln a dredging` machine., the combination oi a cutter plat-e, two sets ot cutters carried by said plate, depending` therefrom and disposed on opposite sides or a longitudinal medial plane and a suction tube positioned in said medial plane and having its intake I end in juxtaposition to the cutters of each set.

l0. ln a dredging; machine, the combination ot a swinging; ladder, a cutter head at the tree end ot thel ladder, a plurality ot disk cutters, each mounted on the head, tree for rotary movement about its own axis and independent o'l each other, said cutters each mounted for swinfring; its axis to cause the disks to tace the a: 's ot swing; ot the ladder and means tor swinging the cutters to ca the same to face in the direction ot movement oi the swinging' ladder.

il. ln a dredging; machine, the combinan tion oia support mounted to be reciprocated bodily in a horizontal direction, two sets of cutters carried by the support, each ot said cutters mounted on the support for rotary movement about a vertically disposed airis, a single control operatively connected to all of the cutters for swinging; the same over a limited angle about their respective vertical axis and causing the cutters to tace in the direction oi movement of the support and means 'for mounting` each of said cutters to permit free rotary movement ot each cutter about an axis intersectingl the vertical axis ot its engagement with the support.

l2. :in a dredging` ,machinel the combination et a support mounted to be reciprocated bodily in a horizontal direction, two sets oin cutters carried by ne 'airport sich et said cutters mounted on the support 'for rota movement about a vertically disposed ai: and a single control operatively connected to all of the cutters vtor swingingi the same over a limited angle about their respective vertical axis and cause the cutters to face in the direction or movement of the support.

i3, .ln a dredgin machine, the combination oi a support, two sets of cutter arms journalled in said support, a pair of connecting bars, one for each 'set ot arms for shifting the arms oit each set in unison, a single control for both bars, and a tiller having laterally extending arms connected respectively to said bars, and means engagiino the tiller to cause all of the arms to sh tt simultaneously.

lt. ln ay dredging` machine, the combination or a support, two sets o'l: cutt arras journalled in said support, a pair ot connecting; bars, one tor each set oi? arms `for shitting' the arms ot each set in unison and le control for both bars.

ln a dredging machine, the combination of a support, a cutter arm journalled in the support 'for movement about a vertical aris, a circular cutter journalled on said arm and having .its outlining,` edge disposed in a plane inclined to said vertical airis. and means for moving the support and tor turningl said arm thereby to shitt the position ot' the cutter relative to tl e lsupport.

1G, lin a dredging machine, the combination ot a support mounted to be swungbach and forth horizontally, a cutter arm journalled in said support, a disk cutter carried by said arm and rotated by the horizontal swing or said support, a tiller carried by the swinging support and connecting means between the tiller and arm for turning the cutter'automatically to Jface in the direction of movement of the support.

17. ln a dredging machine, the combination of a support, an arm journalled in said support tor movement about a substantially vertical axis and normally l'ixed relative to the support while in dredging' position, and a circular cutter disk carried by the arm and a su mounted for free rotary movement about its axis, the axis ot the circular cutter being at an angle to the vertical axis oit said arm and tired relative to the support when in opera-- tive dredging position.

1S. ln a dredging machine, the combination of a ladder mounted to be swung back and forth horizontally, a support pivotally connected to the free end of the ladder, an arm journalled in said support tor movement about a substantially vert-ical axis, an angularly disposed circular cutter disk carried bythe arm and mounted for tree rotary movement about its airis, means engaging the arm tor swine-ing the plane or; the cut- Y.aus @des te te 1s the @leemos of' more" l @il ment of the support` and means for moving the support and for causing the disk to rotate.

19. In a dredging` machine, the combination ot a support, an arm journalled in said support -lor movement about a substantially vertical axis, a circular cutter disk carried by the arm and mounted for free rotary movement about its axis, said circular cutter disk having a cutting edge disposed in a plane perpendicular to its axis of rotation and inclined to the vertically disposed journalling` axis of the arm.

20. In a dredging machine, the combination oia a disk shaped cutter free to rotate about its axis, said cutter having a cutting edge disposed in a plane inclined from the vertical and means for reciprocating the cutter back and orth along a horizontally disposed path extending at an angle to said plane.

21. A dredge cutter comprising a set of disk-shaped cutters with their cutting edges disposed in parallel planes, each cutter free to rotate about its axis, and said being parallel to each other and relatively odset from each other.

22. In a dredging machine, the combination of a cutter disk having a continuous concaved tace outlined by a circular cutting edge and means tor mounting the disk tor free rotary movement about its axis and said disk receiving its rotary impulses at its periphery and otherwise tree oit driving mechanism.

23. In a dredging machine, the combination of a support mounted for reciprocatory linear movement and a circular concaved cutter disk having a curved tace continuous from edge to edge across its axis mounted on the support for tree rotary movement about its axis and inclined to the path of movement of the support.

2li. In a dredging machine, the combination of a tool support mounted `for bodily horizontal movement across the ground to be loosened, a tool carried thereby having a cutting edge movable relative thereto and having concaved side tree ot projections facing in the direction ont movement of the support, said tool being tree oi any actuating power and the cutting edge deriving its cutting movement solely from its reaction with the ground as it is moved with its support across the ground and in the direction in which the concaved side is facing.

25. In a dredging machine, the combination of a rotary disk cutter, means for movthe same along a substantially straight path, a suction tube having` its intake end disposed adjacent said cutter and movable the ewith and means confined to one side of the disk cutter for mounting the cutter with its axis ot rotation disposed at an angle to the length of said path and said cutter' having its opposite side tree ot projections and continuous between opposite edges.

26. In a dredging machine, the combination of a tool, means for moving the same bodily along a path to be dredged, said tool including a disk cutter mounted for :tree rotary movement with its circular edge disposed in a plane extending approximately 450 to the vertical, and operatively disposed to be rotated by the engagement of the lower side of said edge with the ground as the cutter is moved along the same with the tool.

27. In a dredging machine, the combination of a cutter hea-d mounted for reciprocatory movement transversely ot a path to be dredged, a disk cutter mounted on the head for tree rotary movement, means for shifting the disk cutter to face in the direc tion ot movement of the head, the tace ot said cutter being inclined to :tace upwardly and the circular edge outlining said face being operatively disposed to derive its power to rotate from its engagement with the ground as the head is moved on its reciprocatory movement.

Signed at New York city in the county of New York and State of New York this 22nd day ot January A. I). 1925.

EDWIN SAMUEL JQI-INSN. 

